WASHINGTON / KYIV — The White House has confirmed that US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Ukraine’s national security chief, Rustem Umerov, in Miami on Thursday. The upcoming meeting follows nearly five hours of talks between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week discussions the Kremlin described as yielding “no compromise” on a path toward ending the war.
Witkoff, appointed as President Trump’s special envoy for negotiations, was joined in Moscow by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. While President Trump described the talks as “reasonably good,” he cautioned that meaningful progress would require goodwill from both sides: “It takes two to tango,” he told reporters.
Ukrainian officials, however, remain skeptical of Moscow’s intentions.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia accused Putin of “wasting the world’s time” and reiterated that Russia must “end the bloodshed” immediately.
When asked whether Witkoff and Kushner believed Putin genuinely wanted to stop the war, Trump responded: “Their impression was that he would like to end it.”
Zelensky: “A Real Opportunity” for Peace — With Conditions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed earlier on Wednesday that negotiations with the United States would take place “in the coming days,” signaling cautious optimism. In a statement posted to X, Zelensky said the international community “clearly feels that there is a real opportunity to end the war” but stressed that any diplomatic effort must be accompanied by “pressure on Russia.”
The Miami meeting comes amid growing concern that preliminary drafts of a potential peace framework may lean too heavily toward Russian demands. According to Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, Moscow viewed some US proposals as “more or less acceptable,” while others were sharply criticized by President Putin.
The most contentious issues remain unchanged:
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the future of Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russian forces, and
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long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
Nato Membership Remains a Central Fault Line
Ukraine and several European partners continue to argue that the strongest deterrent against future Russian aggression would be Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Russia fiercely opposes the idea, and President Trump has repeatedly indicated that NATO expansion to include Ukraine is not under consideration.
The Kremlin said the NATO question was among the key topics discussed during Tuesday’s talks.
Moscow Signals Confidence Amid Battlefield Claims
Ushakov suggested Russia’s recent battlefield gains had strengthened its negotiating position. He said Russian forces had “helped make the assessments of our foreign partners more appropriate,” implying that military advances have increased pressure on Ukraine and its allies.
Ahead of the US envoys’ visit, Putin appeared in military attire at a command center where he received briefings on the reported capture of Pokrovsk and surrounding settlements in eastern Ukraine. Fighting in the city is ongoing, and Russia does not control the entirety of it, but the Kremlin has seized on its incremental advances as leverage.
According to an analysis by AFP using data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces captured approximately 701 sq km of Ukrainian territory in November and now control 19.3% of Ukraine.
The Kremlin said Putin is prepared to meet with US officials “as many times as needed.”
Moscow and Europe Drift Further Apart
As US-Russian talks continue, tensions between Moscow and Europe have escalated. Putin accused European leaders of obstructing the peace process and intentionally damaging Russia’s relationship with Washington. Speaking at a forum shortly before meeting Witkoff and Kushner, Putin remarked that while he did not seek conflict with Europe, he was “ready for war.”
European officials dismissed Putin’s comments. A spokesperson for the UK government called the remarks “yet more Kremlin claptrap from a president who is not serious about peace.”
In Brussels, NATO foreign ministers met to reaffirm military and financial support for Kyiv. Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that while diplomatic engagement was welcome, Ukraine must be kept in “the strongest possible position to continue fighting.”
EU Moves to Cut Energy Ties With Russia by 2027
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a landmark agreement to end Russian gas imports into the EU before the end of 2027. Under the deal:
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long-term Russian pipeline contracts will be banned from September 2027, and
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long-term contracts for Russian LNG will end in January 2027.
Von der Leyen praised the move as “the dawn of a new era” for Europe’s energy independence.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen added:
“No more blackmail. No more market manipulation by Putin. We stand with Ukraine.”
The Commission is also proposing a €90bn financing package to support Ukraine’s government and military needs. The plan would rely either on Belgium signing off on a “reparations loan” using frozen Russian assets or on international borrowing.
Belgium has expressed legal concerns about releasing frozen assets, and the European Central Bank has also raised objections. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko welcomed the proposal, which would provide funding for roughly two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs over the next two years.
International Pressure Mounts Over Deportation of Ukrainian Children
In New York, the US joined 90 countries at the United Nations in demanding the immediate return of thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred or deported to Russia. Ukraine says more than 19,000 children have been taken; the UK estimates around 6,000 have been placed in “re-education camps.”
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 for illegally deporting children — charges the Kremlin denies.